


Body Ache

by the_rainbow_ship



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Chronic Pain, Ficlet, Fluff, M/M, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:47:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25956973
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_rainbow_ship/pseuds/the_rainbow_ship
Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier
Kudos: 16





	Body Ache

He felt it before he even opened his eyes. The phantom ache of an undiagnosable pain he’d felt so many times before. He hissed, willing himself to sit up and get his day started before he could call in sick to work and decide to stay in bed. Though he wouldn’t give the ghost of his mother the satisfaction. 

He soldiered on. The ache becoming an intense pulsing as he stood to brush his teeth. He chose to sit in the shower, giving his legs a rest while he had the chance. The hot water running down his back as he continued to wash was helping relax his muscles, the intense jet stream doing wonders to the knots that had become a permenant fixture in Eddie’s shoulders. 

Once he’d dressed, he’d felt proud of himself. His mother would have convinced him he was sick from his chronic pain, but Eddie knew better. Heck, he’d spoken to Doctors about it on many an occasion. There was no known cause for the pain, but that didn’t mean it didn’t exist. Perhaps it was a side effect from all of the anxiety his mother had forced into him from a young age. The whole “if you convince yourself you’re sick enough, your body will tell you you’re sick”. 

He returned to the bedroom to kiss his husband a quick goodbye as he prepared to head to the radio station to present his radioshow. Eddie felt his insides twist at the thought of having to go without Richie today, usually if the pain was really bad, Richie would go for a gentle jog with him and they’d relax after. Maybe that would be the plan for tomorrow? 

Eddie went to work, making his way to the insurance firm and greeting his co-workers through gritted teeth when the occasional sharp jolt of pain would shoot up his spine. By the time he’d sat down at his desk, he was ready to go home again and eat whatever slightly overcooked meal Richie would make them because he always got distracted by his twitter feed. 

Between meetings, analysing risks and willing himself not to scream when his lower back started aching so badly that Eddie didn’t know whether to stand or sit to aleviate the pain, he would get the odd text message from his husband to remind him that he loved him, or to send him a meme that took Eddie a few minutes to understand because he didn’t get it _Richie stop sending the- oh wait, nevermind I got it._

When he got home that evening, his body felt like it was made up of exposed wires; rubbing together and conducting electricity of their own accord. Careful not to touch water, Eds. He smiled when he walked through the front door to find a very happy Richie waiting and holding a bouquet of realistic fake flowers because ‘they were hypo-allergenic and lasted a life time, what’s not to like?’. He walked into Richie’s awaiting arms like it was the only possible place to go. 

Eddie did half an hour of Yoga whilst Richie cooked dinner, then they watched a tv show together quietly whilst they talked. It was always so crazy to Eddie how being married to Richie was the least stressful part of his life. He had a job he hated, lingering mommy issues that caused for therapy twice a week and this constant pain that made him feel useless and faulty sometimes like a damaged toy his mother used to play with until she, or someone else got bored. Except Richie. Never Richie.

His husband changed the nature of his job, instead of being a stand-up comedian, he was now a radio presenter with a few guest appearences on the odd tv show or movie. All so that his hours were better for spending time with Eddie that wasn’t just for sleeping. He never pushed him either, always gentle and nurturing in a way that never felt obsessive or too much. Richie had so much love to give in such a positive way that it made Eddie’s heart flutter the exact same as it did back when they were just twelve years old, and Richie would devote all his attention to him. 

Eddie had a bath that evening with a glass of chilled white wine seeing as he didn’t have work tomorrow and let himself relax as best as possible. Everything would be okay, this pain seemed to be neverending - but it was managable. Tolerable. 

When he finally tucked himself into bed with Richie kissing him wherever he could reach, Eddie felt happy. His life could have turned out so differently but he definitely wouldn’t trade this for the world. This wasn’t a bad life to consider his ‘normal’.


End file.
